Well-boring apparatus.



. A. G. COLLINS.

WELL BORING APPARATUS.

'APPLIUATION FILED 00$. 20, 1909.

Patented May 30, 1911.

WITNESS/58.

PATENT OFFICE.

ASA G. COLLINS, 0E EVERETT, WASHINGTON.

wELL BoRme APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1911.

Application filed October 20, 1909. Serial No. 623,678.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Am G. COLLINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Everett, in the county of Snohomish and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Well- Boring Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to well boring, and, more especially, where such operations are performed through the instrumentality of water which is caused to erode the material being bored and then serves as a vehicle to convey the same from the hole.

In practice there is employed an outer pipe or casing together with an inner pipe which has to be extended during the progress of the work by the use of additional lengths of pipe so that the lower ends of such inner pipe will reach, or be in proximity to, the bottom of the hole being bored; the outer pipe may or may not have to be similarly lengthened. In carrying out the boring operations water is introduced into the annular space intermediate the aforementioned pipes and'is withdrawn through the inner pipe by a suction created in the upper end thereof or in a communicating vessel, as through the medium of a suitable pump. To enable the ap aratus to perform such duties the leakage 0 air into the space about the inner pipe must be obviated by the provision of a suitable closure thereabout and above the level at which the water flows into such space.

It is the object of my invention to provide a'yielding closure of this nature and'one which is characterized by afli'ording means whereby additional lengths for the inner pipe may be connected above the top of the outer pipe by the use of ordinary pipecoupling and which coupling can then be introduced through said closure without interfering with the head of water prevailing within the referred to space.

A further object of the invention is the improvement in means for connecting a water supply pipe to said outer pipe.

.The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of devices as will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing which represents, in vertical section, an embodiment of my invention.

The numeral 5, on the drawing, designates a vertically arranged pipe which is primarily sunk into the ground, as by driving with a hammer. In such driving the top of the pipe, it may be said, is prevented from becoming mutilated through the offices of a cap which is removably secured thereto by being screwedupon screw threads 6 provided upon the pipe. After the pipe has been thus driven for a distance into the ground said cap is replaced by a" fittin comprised of a cylindrical hollow body having a socket 8 below which it is internally screw -threaded for engaging with the threads 6 of the pipe. Axially of the body is a top opening inclosed by a peripheral flange 10 and with its upper surface 11 preferably of a downwardly directed conical form. This surface affords a seat for a gasket 12 of rubber or other elastic material. Above the gasket is a ring 13 which, adjacent to its inner periphery, has its under surface 14 desirably arranged conically), as shown. Said gasket is secured by stud olts 15 engaging in screw-threaded holes in said body and extending through apertures provided in the gasket and ring to receive fastening nuts 15 above the latter. 16 represents a hollow boss communicating with the interior of said body and is screwthreaded for connection with a water supply pipe 17. Disposed axially of said fitting 7 and the pipe 5 and extending through the gasket is another pipe 18 which, in the boring of a hole in the ground requires additional lengths of pipe which are connected by pipe couplings, such as 19. The opening of said gasket is normally of a diameter to just accommodate the pipe and make connection therewith, but being of an elastic character, is expanded to allow the pipe couplings which are of a greater diameter than the pipe being pushed through the gasket opening; the gasket meanwhile maintaining a close contact with the outer peripheries of both the pipe and the couplings as they are respectively presented.

By reason of the bearing for the gasket and the under surface of the holding down ring being of conical configuration and downwardly directed, the insertion of a coupling is facilitated as well as causing the annulus of the gasket which is exposed to the water to be disposed so that the pressure of the latter will tend to press the gasket against the pipe 18, or against a coupling, to improve the tightness of the joint between the gasket and the inclosed his member. Should the outer pipe 5 require to be lengthened, the same may be accom- ,the lower end of the supplemental length ofv "pipe is screwed and said fitting engaged with the top end of the extended pipe.

The invention is efficient in operation and can be employed in boring operations Where only standard gas-pipe, so called, is available; or where the cost of utilizing pipes with screw-threaded interfitting reduced ends and sockets would be prohibitive as, for example, in driving to a distance of several thousand feet for water. The lesser cost of the gas-pipe is due to its being of less weight and to the smaller expense of manufacture.

What I claim as my invention, is

In a well boring apparatus, the combination with an inner sectional pipe member and an outer pipe member inclosing the inner member, and a pipe coupling for connecting the sections of the inner pipe member together, of a fitting detachably connected to the periphery of the outer pipe member and projecting above said outer pipe member, the inner diameter of that portion of the fitting which projects above said outer pipe member being greater than the diameter of said pipe member, said fitting provided with a side opening and a screwthreaded socket for the reception of a water supply pipe, said fitting further provided at its upper end with an inwardly-extending annular flange having a downwardly curved upper face and of a width to provide an opening of greater diameter than that of the pipe coupling, an elastic gasket seated upon said flange and of a diameter to snugly engage the periphery ofthe inner pipe member, a ring arranged over the coupling and provided with an inwardlyextending portion having a downwardly curved lower face engaging the upper face of the gasket, the lower face of the ring being parallel with the curved upper face of the flange, and means extending through the rin and gasket and engaging in the top edge of the fitting for coupling the ring and gasket to a fitting.

ASA G. COLLINS.

\Vitnesses: H. BARNES,

M. M. SMITH. 

